Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-23
THE PIECE OF BREAD.

caught chill AT the Derby--to take the
wsters. when, glancing Carelessly over the
paper one morning Just after breakfast,
he read there the news Of the disaster OF
Richshoffrn
He emptied his glass Of Chartreuse,
laid his napkin down on the restaurant
table. gave his valet orders 10 pack his
trunks, took the express two hours later
for Paris and hurried Ia the recruiting
Office for the purpose of enlistiug in n
regiment of the line
Now, though the Duke de Hsrdmunt
had ied the enerVsting life Of a petit creve
this was the term i'll mude al that time
from 10 To 81, though he had done his
best "a degrade his nature in the stables
uf the race course and in the bouduirs
Of the Opera singers, Vet there were oc
casions on which he could not forget
that Enguerraud de Hardirnont died of
the plague at Tunis on the same day with
ST. Louis that jean de Hardimout
cammanded the Great Companies under
Du GueSChu. and that Francois Henri
lie Hardimont MAS killed while making
n charge with Maison Rouge al Fonte
noy. However eneryating his scandalous
and senseless amours with Lucy Niolette
the prima donna Of the NuditeS Paris
iennes, Yet when the young duke learned
that hattie had been lost by the French
Oh French soil, he felt the blood mount to
his forehead, and experienced for the mo
ment 4 horrible sensation. if he had
lust received a slap in the face.
Thus II was that in the early part of
November, Of 1870, having re-eutered
Paris with his regiment, which formed
part Of the corps Of Winery. Henri de
Hardimont. fusilier, third man Of the
second line. and member Of the Jockey
club. formed. with his company. part Of
the main guard in front of the redouht Of
Hautes Bruyeres. a position fortified in
haste and protected by the cannon of the
fort Of Bicetre.
The scene WAS a desolate one-a road
thanked by stunted trees and broken up by
muddy by paths traversing the sickly
looking fields of the suburbs, and on one
side of this road deserted inn, an inn
with arbors, Of which the soldiers had
made their guard house. An engagement
had taken place there a few DAYS before:
the grape shot had cut aSunder several
Of the saplings by the roadside, and they
all bore on their bark the white scars left
BY the shot As 10 the house itself, its
aspect made one shudder. the roof had
been sunk in by a shell, and the walls, OF
the color Of muddy wine, looked as II
they had been painted with blood. The
empty srhors, rooted by network of dark
branches. the casks turned bottom up
ward, the swing, the wet cords Of which
creaked in the wind, and the words over
the door defaced by balls-"Private rooms
Vermouth: Wine 80 ceutimes litre'-
which served a. a frame Ia the picture Of
a dead rabbit with two billiard cues crossed
and tied together by ribbon underneath.
all recalled with cruel irony the SUNDAY
pleasures OF the people in days gone by.
And overhead dreary winter sky. across
which We're passing large leaden clouds
a sky low gloomy and threatening
Al the door Of the inn the young duke
stood moTionless, his chassepot slung
across his shoulder his kepe drawn over
his eyes his benumbed hands thrust into
the pockets of his red trousers shiyering
inside his sheep skin cloak. He had given
himself up Ia gloomy meditation, the
soldier Of defeat, and was watching with
heartbroken glance the line If hills fading
away in the mist, above which arose. ia
rapid succession. accompanied each time
by a detonation, the white pufis OF smoke
Of the krupp cannon.
All al once he was conscious of a sensa-
ton Of hunger He knelt down ON one
Knee and took from his knapsaCk. which
rested against the wall beside him, a
large piece of ammunition bread tnen. as
he had lost his knife, he broke II of bit
by bit, with his teeth. and ate il slowly
But after few mOuthfuls he had had
enough: the bread was hard and had n
hitter taste And there would he no
fresh bread until to morrow distribution.
and then only in case the cummissariat
should think fit To distribute it. The pro
fession WIS, in truth, AT times Il rather
rough one; and all at once there came 10
mind the thought Of what he used TO call
his hygienic breakfasts, when, on the
morning after a supper of too stimula-
ting character he would sit opposite a
window On the ground floor Of the Cafe
Anglais and order-goud heavens the
merrst tritie-an Omelette with asparagus.
and the head waiter. knowing his habits,
would place on the table slender bottle
Of old Seville, resting softly in u basket.
and uncork it carefully. Deuce take il.
That was pleasant time after all. and he
would never be able 10 aceustom himself
to this miserable fare.
And in q moment of impatience the
Young man flung the rest Of the piece of
Tread he had been eating in the mud
AT the same instant a private Of the line
came out of the ruin; he STOPPED down,
picked up the piece Of bread, withdrew a
few steps, wiped the mud from IL with his
sleeve, and began 10 devonr il eagerly.
Henri dc Hardimont was already ashamed
Of his action. and gazed with pity at the
poor devil who had given proof Of so good
AL appetite He WAS a tall and loose built
youth with feverish eyes and a beard that
betrayed recent soiourn in the hospital,
and SO thin that his shoulder blades were
sharply defined through the cloth Of his
well worn cape
You seem Ia be very hungry, com
rade. - said the duke, approaching the sol
der.
..As Won see. " responded the latter, with
his mouth full.
Forgive me. then; if had known you
would like to eat it, | should not have
thrown away MY bread y
There is no harm done" replied the
soldier, Il am not So very delicate in my
tastes
No matter said the nobleman: what
| did WAS wrong, and | reproach myself
away with yuu Il bad opinion of Inc, and
ss have some old cognac in my canteen
-parbleu, We will drink il together
The man had finished eating. The duke
md he each took "A swallow Of brandy in
turn-the acquaintance was made.
And You are called said the SOL
iier
Hardimont" responded the duke. sup
pressing lis title and the prefix TO his
name And YOU
Jean Victor have only recently joined
the company-l've just left the ambu-
was wounded at Chatillon. All,
it WAS very pleasan; in the ambulance;
the nurse gives one such good horse flesh
soup. But had only a scratch, and the